Qatar’s Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts (VCUarts Qatar) is set to captivate audiences at the Ars Electronica Festival 2025 in Linz, Austria. The institution will present Ghūl, a dynamic and immersive exhibition that explores the systems shaping modern life. This thought-provoking showcase highlights how technological, economic, and ecological structures influence daily realities. Immersive exhibition defines the spirit of this project.
Inspired by the ghūl, a shapeshifting figure from Arabian folklore, the exhibition uses this myth to reframe perspectives on modern systems. It encourages viewers to reflect on how these structures control, transform, and sometimes haunt human experiences. The immersive exhibition invites audiences to consider how these invisible frameworks embody values and impact identity.
Organizers emphasized that folklore serves as an entry point into deeper contemporary debates. According to VCUarts Qatar, the exhibition bridges the gap between poetic storytelling and critical inquiry. It addresses the relationship between technology and humanity in ways that remain both playful and profound.
The Richmond campus of Virginia Commonwealth University is also part of this ambitious project. Collaborators include faculty and artists such as Peter Baldes, Sirena Pearl, ShanMu Sun, and Stephen Vitiello. Together with VCUarts Qatar, they created an exhibition that blends creativity across continents.
Several innovative works stand out within the program. ShanMu Sun’s Self-Reflexive Worlds: Ideal Home combines immigrant memory, generative AI, and XR storytelling. It guides audiences through the themes of displacement and belonging. Sirena Pearl’s Self-Reflexive Worlds: Text Textures uses real-time player movements to generate ASCII streams, confronting digital identity and surveillance.
The exhibition also features Roto-Riso, a project by first-year students from VCUarts Qatar. Drawing inspiration from Duchamp’s Rotoreliefs and Op Art, it merges motion, printmaking, and interaction through spinning RISO-printed discs. These installations show how students and faculty transform complex ideas into interactive and imaginative experiences.
Overall, Ghūl demonstrates the power of art to challenge perceptions. By combining folklore with innovation, it creates an immersive exhibition that sparks reflection and dialogue. VCUarts Qatar’s
